Continual Maddening Lying in DS1, Nearly 5

[NotQuiteCockney]

DS1 is lying a lot these days. Some of it is him just trying to make conversation (e.g. "Do you know what Lemonade means in Japanese? It means fire engine."), and some of it is lying with intent (e.g. "At school, they told me to hit back, if someone hit me.").

I am getting very very weary with arguing about everything. (e.g. Massages must be done in the bath. Men get buried, women get cremated. These are big ones from the last two days.)

I have started trying to encourage him to tell stories separately. Asking "please tell me a story" and then not questioning any part of it, accepting all the mad details. I generally tend not to dispute the ridiculous claims when they're not made to benefit him. But then I wonder, does he then think I'm a moron, and tries the more difficult lies?

How do other mums deal with this? Are all kids this age like this?

DD is 5, and I haven't got any experience with this. What, if instead of patiently talking through these preposterous claims, you simply say "oh my, you are silly" or "what a great imagination you have, is that really what you think because you know it's not true". Dunno know if giving him a response, but not engaging will make the difference. It sounds like elaborate attention seeking/testing the boundaries. But, as I say, I haven't got any experience of this so am simply offering up possible responses.

I'm trying to do something a bit like that when it's a lie-with-a-purpose.

It is attention seeking, some of it. Some of it is him just trying to make conversation, I think.

The funny thing is, if you challenge him, he just argues more! He doesn't give in, basically ever. Last night, in the massage argument, he suggested that maybe the man he'd seen on the TV doing massage in the bath was a silly man. (I think he'd seen someone being washed in the bath, and decided that was a massage?) But he would not give in.

I find 'oh really? HOw interesting' is a very useful response. I honestly wouldn't call it lying. The boundaries between fantasy and reality are profoundly blurred at five. YOu only have to watch how they play and how they can know that monsters aren't real but still be terrified of them to see that. Arguing wtih a five-year-old is just infuriating and pointless - you are not arguing with a reasonable person!